Dhaka: The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), in partnership with the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), has announced the 12 winners of the second cohort of the Hindu Kush Himalaya Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (HKH-ICE). Building on the success of its first cohort, HKH-ICE 2.0 supports entrepreneurs from Bangladesh's Chattogram Hill Tracts, Bhutan, India's Himalayan states, and Nepal.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the challenge fund, backed by the UK Government, supports and scales climate-resilient enterprises across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, one of the world's most climate-vulnerable mountain systems. The selected enterprises operate across four priority sectors: resilient agriculture, water security, sustainable tourism, and community resilience. Their solutions range from scaling high-value climate-smart mountain products to converting urban food waste into vermicompost for climate-resilient farming.
The initiative aims to address pressing mountain challenges through locally grounded innovation and scaling solutions through market-based approaches. 'Entrepreneurs in the Hindu Kush Himalaya are uniquely positioned to deliver solutions that are both locally relevant and globally significant,' said Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD. He emphasized that the challenge strengthens the region's innovation and market ecosystem by investing in promising ideas, building entrepreneurial capacities, and fostering cross-border collaboration.
Jesper H¶rnberg, CEO of Global Resilience Partnership, highlighted the impact of the HKH-ICE Challenge, noting that locally led initiatives are bringing forward scalable nature-based solutions to address interconnected environmental, livelihood, and economic challenges. He praised the creativity, dedication, and leadership reflected in these efforts, emphasizing that lasting change occurs when communities shape solutions rooted in their own contexts and experiences.
Rob Fenn, UK Ambassador to Nepal, reiterated the UK's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs driving climate resilience across the region through the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme. He expressed confidence in the power of locally-led innovation as a tool for building a sustainable future for the region.
Referred to as the 'Third Pole,' the Hindu Kush Himalaya region supports over 240 million mountain inhabitants and provides water, food, and energy for approximately 1.65 billion people downstream. The region faces accelerating risks from climate change, ecosystem degradation, and water scarcity, threatening agriculture, tourism, and long-term resilience. An ICIMOD estimate published in 2025 projects that the region will require more than USD 12 trillion by 2050 to meet adaptation and mitigation needs, while the Climate Policy Initiative notes that 83% of adaptation finance needs in South Asia remain unmet.
The initiative offers tailored mentorship, technical assistance, and regional exposure to help enterprises strengthen business models, access markets, and attract investment.